Gandhi family loyalist Tom Vadakkan joins BJP

Congress leader Tom Vadakkan, who is considered close to the Gandhi family, on Thursday joined the BJP in a surprise move after declaring that he was "deeply hurt" by the stand taken by the Rahul Gandhi-led on the Pulwama attacks.

Vadakkan, a regular face on TV debates, joined the saffron party in the presence of senior leader and Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad and immediately attacked the Congress for its stand on the Pulwama attack and the subsequent IAF airstrike in Pakistan's Balakot.

His joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections may give some boost to the party workers in Kerala.

A Christian, Vadakkan may likely contest from Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, which he had been demanding from Congress for the past couple of times. BJP is likely to project his joining as a vote of confidence of the minority community in Kerala.

"The attack by the Pakistani terrorists on our land the reaction from my party (Congress) was sad indeed. It hurt me deeply when it questioned the integrity of our armed forces. This is the precise reason why I am here (in BJP). This is not an issue of ideology...I didn't have an option," he told reporters.